Ja recently sat down for a jailhouse interview with New York Daily News, where he revealed the relationships he's built while in the bing. Rule said he has gotten stock tips from Kozlowski and learned about the perennial impasse in Albany from Hevesi.

“Outside, you don't meet guys like this every day. This place is amazing,” said Ja. “It's funny. We are from totally different walks of life. But when you're here, you're here,” continued the Queens rapper about his newfound friends.

A more grounded sounding Jeffery Adkins also talked about his upcoming album, Pain Is Love 2 and the circumstances under which is was made.

“I did this album in about two or three weeks, tops,” revealed the raspy voiced rapper whose seventh LP is scheduled to hit shelves February 28. “Really a special album. Back was against the wall. I really didn't have the time to do what I set out to do for the project. But it came together much better than I ever could have imagined.”

Ja Rule is scheduled to be released from prison in January 2013.

Visitors to Arizona prisoners got a rude awakening when it was announced that a new Arizona law would allow prisons to change visitors to see prisoners.

News One, via the Associated Press, reports:

A new Arizona law that charges visitors to state prisons a one-time $25 fee is being challenged as unconstitutional.

The law went into effect July 20. It requires visitors at 15 state prisons to pay the fee for background checks.

But the money actually gets deposited into a building renewal fund.

The Middle Ground Prison Reform has sued the state Department of Corrections seeking to have the fee declared a tax and any money paid so far returned to visitors.

The group says it believes the fee is unique among states.

Corrections officials deny allegations that it targets vulnerable groups and that it's unconstitutional. They say the fees will help ensure inmate safety.

It's bad enough that prisoners are locked behind bars, but sticking the few visitors that they do get with a $25 fee is a slap in the face.

This is the same state that passed immigration laws in Arizona that encourages racial profiling, so we shouldn't be surprised by anything the government in AZ pulls.

Apparently everyone anticipating the reality show featuring Earl Simmons aka DMX reuniting with 10 of his children will be disappointed since it is reportedly not in the works.

X's people suspect that the rumor came from one of his disgruntled baby-mamas. His publicist officially stated that the show, which was said to be titled, "X-tended Family" was made up.

There was also a fraudulent press conference that DMX's reps had to shut down, and they actually suspect an ex named Yadia for spreading that false info.

This could be a gag order because of the confidentiality of the show since it already has such a catchy title and interesting premise, but either way X is working on his album and is scheduling a tour.

Stay tuned.

Black men in North Carolina may find themselves living longer healthier lives if they simply get locked up. A study was conducted and inmates in prison of African-American descent in the Tar Heel state were found to be somewhat protected against alcohol and drug related deaths and certain chronic diseases.

According to findings published in Annals of Epidemiology, white prisoners were more likely to die while incarcerated.

The study involved about 100,000 men between age 20 and 79 who were held in North Carolina prisons at some point between 1995 and 2005.

Researchers linked prison and state health records to determine the cause of death of inmates, then compared those statistics to the expected death of the average males of the same age and race that were not in jail.

Less than one percent of men died during incarceration regardless of race, but outside prison walls, blacks have a higher rate of death at any given age than whites.

"What's very sad about this is that if we are able to all of a sudden equalize or diminish these health inequalities that you see by race inside a place like prison, it should also be that in places like a poor neighborhood we should be able to diminish these sort of inequities," said Evelyn Patterson, who studies correctional facilities at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dr. David Rosen talked about the healthcare in prison that may add to the life expectancy but on the contrary he brought up the loss of family, relationships, employment and opportunity once a man becomes a prisoner.

Does this mean men should go to jail in order to add some years to their lives? Probably not, but it does say that we should be able to avoid the pitfalls of the world without having to be barred from society.

Bronx rapper Remy Smith, better known as Remy Ma was hoping for an early release from prison for shooting of a homegirl of hers which resulted in a conviction in 2007.

The former Terror Squad member argued with a friend over $3000 and allegedly shot the woman. She was charged with criminal possession and two counts of assault and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Remy was hoping that an appeal citing a judge misinforming the jurors before they made their decision would work in her favor. Yesterday the Court of Appeals in New York denied the claim, forcing Smith to postpone the celebration she had hoped for.

In a recent interview with radio personality, Jenny Boom Boom, Remy mentioned that she was attempting to make it home before the summer. She also added that if none of her appeals worked, that she may have to spend another 3 years in the penitentiary.

Her husband, rapper Papoose, also spoke publicly about an early release for Remy,

"I highly doubt she will have to serve the full time. If justice is served, then she will come home now," Pap told Vibe magazine.

Unfortunately, she won't be home as soon as they would like, but she may not serve the full sentence.

Do you think the appeal should have passed?

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Gucci Mane Committed To Mental Institution

Things may have taken a turn for Georgia rapper Gucci Mane.

According to TMZ, the Brick Squad CEO has entered a special plea claiming that he is “mentally incompetent” and that he will be unable to fight prosecutor's attempts to revoke his probation.

After appearing back in court yesterday (January 3), Gucci and his defense team filed a "Special Plea of Mental Incompetency" ... in which he explained he was in no state to "intelligently participate in the probation revocation hearing."

In the documents filed by the court, the judge ordered Gucci into custody -- and immediately committed the rapper into a mental health treatment facility pending an evaluation of his mental condition.

As of press time, Gucci is currently at the treatment facility undergoing evaluation.

You know we had to do it.......

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Gucci Mane Arrested Again, Facing 17 Months In Jail

According to Hip-Hop Enquirer, a Fulton County Judge has ordered Gucci Mane, born Radric Davis, to be taken into custody for violating his probation stemming from a 2010 arrest.

Although which arrest subsequently resulted in the arrest and potential sentencing is unknown, his probation officer fought vigorously to have him placed in custody for which the judge agreed.

Gucci Mane is facing a prison term of 17 months if he is in fact found guilty of the violation.

Hip Hop Enquirer's Dennis Byron was on the scene to bring this breaking news story.

A hearing date has been set for January 24th, 2011 in Fulton County Superior Court.

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According to the former Murder Inc. headliner, he will drop a new works titled, The Renaissance Project before he begins his prison sentence. Rule will put out the new music on his own label, MPire Music Group.

The platinum rapper tweeted today (January 3)

"Damn, some of u act like 18 months is forever. It aint Hard to tell who the snitches are!!!…Renaissance Project will be dropping before I go in."

As recently reported, Rule, real name Jeffery Adkins, was sentenced to two years in prison by a federal judge last month for gun charges stemming from a 2007 incident where police found a .40 caliber handgun in a vehicle Rule was driving.

Ja is due back in court on February 9, to schedule a surrender date.

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According to the Associated Press, guards at the Idaho Correctional Center stood back and watched Hanni El Abed being beaten by a fellow inmate.

Authorities state that El Abed was released from solitary confinement for about 6 minutes before being attacked by James Harver for “snitching” to authorities about drug deals that were taking place between guards and inmates.

On the disturbing video obtained by the Associated Press, you witness as El Abed is beat severely by the Harver and at one point pleads for help, to no avail.

About two minutes after Haver stopped the beating on his own accord, the metal cellblock door was unlocked and Haver was handcuffed as El Abed lay unconscious.

Upon further medical examination, it was determined that Elabad bled inside his skull and spent three days in a coma.

Hanni El Abed has since filed a lawsuit over the attack that is currently pending.

Check out the video below:

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According to published reports, officials in the San Francisco County Jail's San Bruno lockup have approved the installation of 16 condom machines.

The jail, which currently houses over 750 inmates, is using the bold move to initiate the system's safe-sex program.

The latest plug-in for the safe-sex program, which began in 1989 when health workers began distributing condoms to inmates as part of their counseling before they were released, has it's attention centered around lowering reported AIDS cases centered around unprotected jail house sex.

"It may be controversial," Sheriff Michael Hennessey told the San Francisco Chronicle, "But I think the larger health education message is important."

Although sex among inmates technically is illegal, the Sheriff's Department decided to install one machine in each pod that was paid for by a pair of small grants from UCSF and a Southern California nonprofit.

“The sex already takes place,” Program Director of San Francisco Public Health Department Kate Monico Klein said. “If (providing condoms) saves one or two lives, it's worth it."

So I guess the next step will be to offer up candles to make it romantic?

What's your thoughts, was the decision to install condom machines a good one or does it aid in the potential rapes of men while in jail?